Flags of Convenience:
The largest shipping registries are Panama, Liberia, Greece, Marshall Islands and the Bahamas,
Approximately 6,300 sail under the Panamanian flag, making Panama the largest. The Greek-controlled fleet is at almost 90 million gross tons.
The Marshall Islands is fourth with 1, 500 vessels and 37 million tons. Bahamas has 1,500 vessels at 27 million tons.
Other significant flags include Cyprus and Malta

25.8.10

Commenting on Moscow’s failure to honor its commitment to deliver the S300 missile air defense system to Iran, Brigadier General Mohammad-Hassan Mansourian said, ""We purchased the system for our operational needs, but they haven't delivered it to us.""

Local industries are trying to replace the S300 system with similar home-made missiles to meet domestic air defense requirements, he explained

24.8.10

MT M. Star entered Tokyo Bay Aug. 24. The mysterious impact left one 11-meter-wide, one-meter-deep dent in the aft starboard hull about six meters above the waterline, and another 23-meter-wide dent about 16 meters below the waterline, and damage to the ship's mess. morehere

21.8.10

08-21-2010 Parliamentarian Alaeddin Boroujerdi "Russia’s measure (loading fuel into Bushehr nuclear plant) ensured Iranian nation that it abides by its commitments and public opinion in Iran expect that Russia implement its obligations on S-300 missile system as well.” more

18.8.10

Two small unidentified ships were near the Japanese tanker that was damaged in a suspected attack in the Strait of Hormuz in late July.

The two small ships changed directions many times and made other suspicious moves, raising the possibility that they may have been involved in the purported attack.

The Japan Transport Safety Board, a body under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the state-run National Maritime Research Institute are currently analyzing the radar images left in the tanker's data recorder, the sources said.

The National Police Agency's National Research Institute of Police Science is also checking substances collected from the damaged part of the tanker to see if they were components of an explosive.earliermorehere

13.8.10

In July 2010, after some hesitation, Moscow announced that the S-300 deal is forbidden by the new UN sanctions.In December 2005, Russia agreed to sell Iran long-range S-300 anti-aircraft missiles - 40 to 60 launchers with four missile tubes each, radars, and control stations, worth some $1bn (£650m). Together with the shorter-range Tor M1 and the older super-long-range S-200 already provided by Russia, Iran could build a solid anti-aircraft shield able to defend its nuclear facilities against a possible US or Israeli assault, and inflict serious damage to the attacking force.Without the S-300, the Iranians do not have a balanced air defence. Moscow has been withholding the delivery of the S-300 to Iran since 2008, while officials maintained the delays were "technical".. Iranian officials reacted angrily. Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi demanded that Russia must pay for the damage it has caused by failing to deliver the S-3

In 2009, a deal was allegedly struck between Russian and Middle Eastern businessmen,to evade the' technical' delays of the S-300 missile delivery. Some sources claim the Russian military's weapons industry was implicated in the deal and transferred a number of new missiles to Kaliningrad. However the Kremlin was uninvolved, and apparently the deal was carried out in secret between businessmen from the private sector. After the deal was executed, an intelligence agency learned of the ship's departure with the weapons towards Algeria, a country located on a regularly used route for the transfer of weapons to Iran and Syria. The Arctic Sea docked in Kaliningrad in June to undergo various repairs. On July 24,2009, the Arctic Sea, manned by a Russian crew and carrying a cargo of what was declared to consist solely of timber, was allegedly boarded by hijackers off the coast of Sweden. The story goes that the hijacking of the 'Arctic Sea' was ordered by the Moscow government.after discussions with other countries to prevent the delivery of the missiles to Iran.

12.8.10

Suez hijacked, dropped anchor at Bargaal, home of the Xassan Talareer clan, at the north eastern tip of the Horn of Africa, General Cargo Ship, 17300, 1984, Panama IMO: 8218720 ex-Evi

Company already paid a US$1.5 million ransom for another hostage ship, the MV MANSOURAH 1 (aka Al Mansourah), which was hijacked on 03 September 2008 and released against the ransom after only 23 days.

Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport signed an agreement with the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on the supply of two batteries of S-300 anti-aircraft systems, the Vedomosti daily reported, citing Russian arms industry sources. here Russia's governmental arms export agency's most popular is the S-300 anti-aircraft system. Russian organizations have made efforts to export S-300 system to potential clients such Iran, reportedly to defend the Bushehr nuclear station being completed by Russian specialists. earliermore

If it were a suicide bomber, the explosive device would have pierced the hull or at least caused visible damage from shrapnel. The terrorist theory is the favoured scenario because the United Arab Emirates state news agency quoted an unnamed coast guard official as saying they found the remnants of handmade explosives on the hull and that terrorists were to blame. The Japanese government, meanwhile, is still carrying out its investigations into the cause of the blast on board the M Star, a government official said. The Straits are far outside of the operational radius that one would expect for a group that was operating in the Sinai to be able to then launch an attack in the Persian Gulf - that's showing quite a transnational operational reach. The damage to the M Star's hull was probably caused by a collision?

10.8.10

Pirates left Syria Star of their own accord utilising a launch from the ship. Helicopters had found an abandoned skiff containing fuel and ammunition near the cargo ship when it was hijacked-- carrying a cargo of sugar. earlier

8.8.10

The attack on the M Star was poorly executed, without powerful or sophisticated enough explosive to breech the hull or even sink the ship. But I wonder if now this genie is out of the bottle. With better funding and an experienced bomb-maker, as they used against the USS Cole in 2000 and the Limburg in 2002, the outcome might have been much more serious – a massive spill, or even a sunken supertanker in the Strait. Shipping is a very soft target, impossible to defend, and the western economy is very sensitive to increases in the price of crude oil. The Persian Gulf, especially the Strait of Hormuz is a natural choke point, through which something on the order of a quarter of the world’s crude oil is shipped. If last week’s attack had caused a major spill or actually sunk the M Star, the price of oil would have to go up as shipping out of the Gulf would be slowed, reduced and insurance costs would skyrocket. An extended campaign that could have the effect of driving up the cost of oil at a time when the US and Europe are struggling with fragile, damaged economies would be disastrous, even if operationally it met with little success.

6.8.10

"UAE explosives experts who collected and examined samples found a dent on the starboard side above the water line and remains of home-made explosives on the hull,Probably the tanker had encountered a terrorist attack from a boat loaded with explosives,"Abdullah Azzam Brigades is a name of convenience rather than an actual organisation. Their stated aim is the release of Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, a controversial blind Muslim cleric, from a US jail for his part in the 1993 World Trade Center attack.

5.8.10

SYRIA STAR IMO 7608136 issued a distress call in the Gulf of Aden reporting pirates firing upon the ship and boarding it 05 May,Helicopters found an abandoned skiff containing fuel and ammunition near the cargo ship, By the time warships arrived, the Syria Star -- carrying a cargo of sugar -- had reversed course and was heading southeast toward the Horn of Africa under the control of the pirates, who did not respond to radio contact.

REEM MARITIME LTD.

Reem Maritime Ltd (hereafter referred to as Reem) was incorporated as a private limited company in 2002 in Tartous, Syria

4.8.10

Privately, U.S. officials have expressed skepticism about the al Qaeda-affiliated group's claim of responsibility. They say that while the investigation isn't finished, the visible damage to the tanker hull is more consistent with a collision than a terrorist attack.a Dolphin class submarine have passed through Suez. here A report in the London Sunday Times 30 May said that Israel was placing submarines off the coast of Iran. According to the report, three submarines have already arrived in the Persian Gulf, and one will be permanently stationed there. The deployment is Israel's response to Iran's development of ballistic missiles, the report said."After midnight last Wednesday, the martyr hero Ayyub Al Tayshan blew himself up in the Japanese oil tanker M. Star in the Strait of Hormuz between the U.A.E. and Oman,"In a statement posted on a militant website and dated Aug. 2, by the Abdullah Azzam Brigades.

3.8.10

The Norwegian Chemical tanker MV BOW SAGA was proceeding through the transit corridor in the middle of the Gulf of Aden when it came under attack. A pirate skiff with 7 people on board shot at the bridge, damaging the windows. BOW SAGA adopted Best Management Practice and was conducting counter measures with evasive manoeuvring and the deployment of water hoses to prevent attempts to climb up onto the ship. Piracy experts have predicted an increase in attacks in the Arabian Sea in August as the Indian Ocean southwest monsoon eases.

The Norwegian International Ship Register -NIS- was established in 1987.

Since then it has provided the shipping industry with a continuing competitive and high quality option for registration under the flag of a nation with long standing maritime competence.

Norway has been one of the world's largest shipping nations since the late 19th century. This prominent position has been sustained over the years by the ability of Norwegian companies to adapt promptly to changing market requirements.The NIS combines the advantage of being located in an industrialised nation with competitive conditions, rules, and regulations.

Ships registered in the NIS fly the Norwegian flag and are subject to Norwegian jurisdiction.Norway’s ordinary shipping legislation applies to them with some exceptions and special rules specific to the NIS.Norway’s comprehensive code of maritime law also gives creditors the assurance that it represents a secure and professional alternative.Norwegian law is recognised in the maritime related field as sophisticated and predictable.

Great emphasis has been placed on maintaining a quality register which ensures that vessels operating under the NIS regulations meet highly acceptable safety and working standards.To ensure this, the rules are based on the obligations accepted by Norway, particularly with regard to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

2.8.10

The ship owners yesterday said the insurance company[IGP&I] agreed to pay a ransom of $20 million to win the release of Al-Nisr Al-Saudi. When contacted, Merchant Shipping Director General Shantha Weerakoon said he was aware about the Saudi ship owners’ willingness to pay the ransom to get the crew and the ship released.

MOL has hired a military expert has been hired to lead the investigation into determining the cause of the VLCC damage. U.S. navy's Bahrain-based fifth fleet team is carrying out diving operations to determine the extent of the damage to the oil tanker M.Star.The investigation is commissioned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.

1.8.10

Speculation about an attack on a VLCC in the Straits of Hormuz:The large square dent in the supertanker was caused by a rocket grenade?

Most officials dismissed the idea of a collision with a submarine, because no damaged sub is known to have surfaced. American officials reported no collision with United States submarines in the region. here. U.S. nuclear submarines have been in two collisions in the busy Strait of Hormuz since 2007, one involving a Japanese supertanker and the other a U.S. warship. The Dolphin class is a non-nuclear (SSK) type of submarine developed and constructed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW), Germany for the Israeli Navy. It is based on the export-only German 209 class submarines, but heavily modified and enlarged and is thus not seen as a member of the 209 family. The Dolphin boats are considered among the most sophisticated and capable conventional submarines in the world.[1] The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany. Turkey has 209s. Iran has kilo-class subs,

It could also have been the bull nose end of a jetty at one of the loading ports where the tanker may have come into contact," here